Swan Song
by voicefulVisionary
Summary: You still don't know what possessed you, like a culled wriggler, to reach out a questioning hand, one you hoped he had an answer to. So, alright, that's a lie. The act was born from loneliness, you just don't remember whose. Now, with him in your arms, red, unshaded eyes looking up at you, and a smile you'd never seen before, you try to remember how it started.
1. A Chance Meeting

You came across him in one of the four chambers Rose had taken over. This particular room had been her main area of operation. He'd been laying underneath the long, ebony table the Seer, like most of the room's decor, had alchemized. The boy looked out of place, but peaceful. It was weird for you to be there; you often avoided this room. Rose only trusted her ectobiological brother to enter the room without her supervision, even Kanaya didn't have a key.

The smell of failed experiments scratched at the back of your throat and watered your eyes as you stood in the doorway. Books from piles built during all-nighters lay cascaded across the regal purple tapestry, complete with unnecessary tassels woven from a precious Earth metal called gold. The ebony table was laden with vials, resting on stands and full of suspiciously colored liquids. Similar liquids of various thickness ran paths through glass pipes that traveled over and under things around the room, hooked up to an odd machine consisting of various steam-powered pumps that ran off nuclear energy. Against the cold, gray walls covered in horrific drawings Rose deemed as art, the movement within the pipes made you feel dizzy, a feeling not helped by the various swaying, spiraling trinkets that hung from the ceiling.

"Hey," you jabbed into the silence.

Despite his eyes being closed, Dave had no trouble locating the shades he'd placed at his side and returning them to their rightful place. The movement, as always, appeared fluid and rehearsed.

"Woah. You know what happened last time my sis caught you in here. This better be some serious shit. I'm not made of time, ya know," he replied in a voice that hid more than you could care to understand at the time.

"Don't just assume I came here to see you, asshole. And it's fine. She's off on another one of those disgusting matesprit romps with Kanaya."

"Someone sounds jealous." You wanted to rip the smirk out of his voice.

"I told you already Kanaya's just a close friend. I was just hoping that someone on this boring as fuck meteor could watch one fucking movie with me for fucks sake I am going insane, I don't even remember how long it's been anymore, I stopped counting because that drove me up the fucking wall. GOD DAMMIT! I FUCKING HATE THIS PLACE!"

"Jeez. I thought Kanaya didn't want you straining your voice like that anymore. Anger issues or something like that," he muttered the last bit as he pushed himself out from under the table.

"Ahhhggggh. I just. Ugh. Fuck." Your shoulders sank in exhaustion. You vaguely remembered Rose mentioning something about only six more months, a construct of time you still struggled with now and then. Only six more months. That was nothing compared to the time you'd already spent on that god-forsaken rock. "I don't know what to do with myself anymore."

And maybe it was the way his mouth fell subtly into a frown that threw off the rest of the night.

"Yeah, me neither," said the boy uncharacteristically quietly.

You hesitated ever so slightly, but the words climbed out of your mouth too soon to be held down. "Hey, you... you wanna watch a movie?"

And just like that his stoic facade was back, but you'd gotten a glimpse of something new, something you didn't predict in a place that had quickly become second-naturedly predictable to you.

"Yeah, man. Sure. Lead the way."

* * *

**I was going to wait to publish this in full, but I decided gaining an audience before finishing would give me the motivation to keep going. Sorry if you were hoping for black, but this is redrom. I'm guessing this will be fairly long, like 20,000+, but who knows. The first few chapters might be a little short, but there'll be longer ones. Rated M to be safe 'cause language, possibly some graphic depictions of violence later, suggested or blatant sex scenes. Feel free to correct any spelling, etc. errors that are bothering you and provide constructive feedback. Most importantly, enjoy. I'll try to keep the author intrusions to a minimal. Thanks for reading. -VV**


	2. Interruptions

"Where were you last night?" she questioned half-heartedly.

"You look like shit."

"Thank you ever so much, how lovely of you to notice," she deadpanned.

You let out a controlled sigh to prevent yourself from falling into a fit of rage. "Do you always have to be so sarcastic?"

"Not at all. I apologize, it's just that it's rather... addicting. I've been trying to stop. I really have," she narrowed her eyes, grimacing slightly. "But never mind, where were you?"

"Researching more about pathetic human culture," you replied from the couch, not bothering to look up from your book.

"You were watching more of those humorous tales of matespritship, weren't you?"

"Hey, they're a lot more sophisticated than they appear."

"What are those?" she asked, indicating the bowl on the ground next to you.

"I think they're called potato chips." You looked down at them. They were pale, round, salty, and crunched satisfyingly between your teeth.

"Do you even know what they're made of?"

"Potatoes."

She stared at you, bewildered.

"What? What is it, Kanaya?" you asked, slightly worried you'd done something wrong.

"Nothing, I simply find it difficult to believe how easily you could pass for one of them now."

You frowned. "Hey, don't compare me to those dumb, pink, fleshy creatures! I mean, Rose isn't that bad, but Dave is absolutely infuriating. If I didn't have better things to do I'd..." you growled back, trailing off as you slammed a handful of chips into your mouth, chewing angrily.

Kanaya gave up and sat herself on one of the other couches. The room was supposed to be a sort of commons area with six couches in all, upholstered with wizard print tapestries thanks to one of Rose's many drunk escapades, and arranged in a circle. Despite the copious amounts of seating, the room was still spacious, one of the biggest on the meteor; they often used it to hold important meetings that weren't actually all that important.

"Rose and I decided that for efficiency's sake it might benefit us to strategically organize the ridiculous amounts of stray literature laying around."

"Alright."

"Rose is still insistent that she needs my help."

"Uh-huh."

"It has to be you."

You glared at the ceiling. "Can't you get that nook-sucker to do it?"

"I have a feeling his ironic tendencies will result in an organization system that, while esoterically strategic, will be less than helpful."

You hesitated. "What about Terezi?"

Kanaya paused, then gave you an apologetic look.

Finally realizing it was impossible to read, you shut your book and placed it on the floor beside the chips. "I'll get around to it when I can."

"Soon, I hope." Her tone wasn't pressing, but had a gentleness that showed some understanding for your frustrations.

Neither of you spoke for some time. You continued to stare at the ceiling, Kanaya at the ground.

Eventually you pushed yourself up into a sitting position. "I don't know why I'm even asking, but are you busy tonight?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Her voice was heavy with a stale exhaustion that gave away all her sleepless nights. "I wish I could be of more assistance to your boredom, but Rose is counting on my support to get through her current predicament. It's almost been a month, and I finally feel she's believing me that sober is the best state to be in when we reach our destination."

"Yeah, alright." You stand up, grabbing the chips and your book as you walk towards the exit. "I'll see you around, I guess."

"Yes, if I remember correctly there's a meeting tomorrow night. Please do your best to be there this time."

You waved your hand in acknowledgment, only half listening at that point.

But before you'd left the room entirely, she added,"Terezi wasn't looking too well last time."

And it made you stop, but only briefly before you were nowhere to be seen, off to pass the time in some other dull, gray room.


	3. Memories

Aimlessly, you wandered the seemingly endless expanse of hallways. Your original plan had been to find somewhere else to read, but the more you walked the more you thought and the less appealing that prospect seemed to you. So, you'd made a quick stop by your room to drop off your burdens, though it couldn't really be called quick as you'd picked a room tucked deep into a corner of the facility, somewhere the others didn't pass by on a regular basis. Of course, as a precaution, you'd made it accessible by password only. Now, you lacked a destination and the urgency of your thoughts became increasingly persistent.

The first issue that demanded your attention was Terezi, specifically your not-so-recent discovery of her caliginous inclinations. Time had prevented you from being angry at this point, but it still stung. It wasn't a sharp pain, but a surreal one, hazed, as if it only existed in a dream. Kanaya was careful not to mention it on a regular basis, but with Terezi's recent increase in reckless behavior it was difficult for her to keep quiet. The Seer seemed to only be around when she was expected, never missing a meeting but nearly impossible to track down any other time. You'd attempted to confront her due to what you tried to assure yourself was Kanaya's suggestion, but knew was mostly born of your idiotic need to repair your friendship. For someone who was blind though, she was sure quick; no sooner did Rose conclude a meeting than she was nowhere to be found. It frustrated you to no end. Everything seemed to frustrate you lately, stealing away what little energy you had left. _Only six more months, _you thought to yourself, but questioned your ability to endure even another day.

You slumped against the nearest wall, your feet beginning to tire. It suddenly occurred to you how long you'd been walking. You stared ahead at the gray walls. Lately, they'd been haunting your dreams. Night after night, you'd wake up, or it felt like waking up, in a dark room. Before you had a chance to panic the lights would come on. You'd blink, confused, and then it would dawn on you. There were no windows. There were no doors. Deep breaths, don't freak out, the walls aren't closing in, it's just your imagination. But that only worked for so long before you had to admit that in fact, the walls were closing in. You'd panic, looking for a way out. An exit, there has to be an exit, and then the screaming would start, so loud and disjointed you'd look for the voice's owner. But there was no one else, the screaming was yours, and it was too late, dammit, it was too late to-

The sound of footsteps stole you from your memory. Two, or three hallways down, you guessed, enough time to make an escape. Sitting on the floor like that felt oddly comfortable though, and you couldn't bring yourself to move. You braced yourself for who it might be.

The owner of the footsteps seemed just about to round the corner when they stopped. It took you a bit to realize when they'd started up again, inaudibly quiet at first like the flapping of small, uncertain wings but then in an instant the sounds echoed across the walls, fleeing in desperation. You shot up from your seat determined not to lose your chance. Thankfully the hallway that the sounds were emanating from had few turns, so catching her wouldn't be so difficult. And yet, just before you reached the hallway entrance, the footsteps were gone. You stopped running in defeat, slowing down to a disappointed walk that was more like dragging your feet. But as you stared down the hall wondering how she could have possibly eluded you, and why she was so determined to hide, another sound invaded your ears.

The sound of wheels gliding effortlessly across a stone-like, smooth surface danced over the walls and high ceilings, getting closer to you every second.

"Wait. He couldn't possibly be-" you began, unable to finish as a flash of red successfully knocked you to the ground.

Nursing your elbow briefly, you grimaced as you looked up. He'd turned around at the end of the hallway and was rocketing back in your direction.

You waited for him to pass by again. "Hey, asshole," you said in annoyance.

Again, he kept going.

"Hey. Dave. Hey, you NOOK-SUCKING EXCUSE FOR A FRIEND," you tried again, raising your voice but then suddenly you'd had it. You waited for the right moment, then-

"Ommpfh!" The blonde gave a satisfyingly undignified sound somewhere between a shout and a grunt, his cape flipping over his face. "Yo, those were some sick moves. I thought we were bros now. I was going to do the most amazing slide."

The frown adorned on his face looked genuine, but it was difficult for you to gauge how upset, if at all, he actually was with you. Something about the moment dragged you into a memory of the night before.

_Everything is bathed in electronic light from the television. In an odd way it reminds you of the few times you stayed out a little too long during the Alternian sunrise, long enough to see the peculiar blend of light and color that was present only briefly, before an intense brightness would send you running back to your hive. The lights have all been turned off and the normally blinding teal of the couch is muted under the mix of shadows slinking across it as the camera changes on screen change their intensity. The air smells like stale fabric and the tang of salt and butter that wafts from the bowl separating you from him. The situation makes you feel a little claustrophobic because these ceilings are significantly lower than everywhere else. Rose had chosen this room for the TV because of its resemblance to a human living room,but you greatly preferred the movie viewing area you'd assembled in your own quarters. _

_The movie is losing its grasp on you; it's not as good as Dave had sold it to be, but based on the focus he currently has and the slow manner in which his hands move popcorn from the bowl to his mouth, he seems to be thoroughly enjoying it. You've found a somewhat comfortable position sitting cross-legged with your chin sunk into the palm of your hand, sinking deeper with every passing moment. You find your eyes shifting to other things in the room: a geometric lamp in the corner, a rather new wine stain on the rug, an un-popped popcorn kernel that was slowly but surely burying itself between two couch cushions._

_Your attention is brought back with a short, punctuated laugh from Dave. As if feeling your gaze he turns in your direction and looks away from the screen just long enough to raise a questioning eyebrow._

_"__That comedy was genius. But I understand not everyone can be as learned in the art of irony as me." He tops the sentence off with a smirk._

_"__This movie is stupid."_

_"__Alright, no popcorn for you Mr. Grouchy Horns." _

_"__Stop it. Stop sounding like Terezi."_

_"__Maybe Terezi sounds like me."_

_You remember how much the two of them hang out, the small influences it's had on her regular speech pattern. Sometimes, you swore those two would be the death of you._

_"__What's not to love about this movie?"_

_"__Nothing interesting has happened yet. It's just predictable explosions," you explain, shrugging your shoulders._

_"__Hey, last time we watched what you wanted. I could go on for hours about how scarring and weird as hell that movie was."_

_"__Just because your small human brain can't grasp the complexity of troll romance does not mean the movie was bad. You're just impossibly ignorant."_

_"__If you say so, but seriously, this movie is gold."_

_An exasperated sigh escapes your lips and you brace yourself for one of his trademark speeches on the many levels of irony. _

"Hey, man," he said, waving his hand in front of your face. "I know you can't take your eyes off my hotter than the green sun bod, but you're starting to creep me out a little. Tell me things aren't getting all caliginous up in here, you know I don't understand that shit."

Carefully, you stood yourself up."You are the absolute last person on this god damn meteor I'd want in any of my quadrants!"

He shrugged. "You couldn't handle me anyway. You can't even keep up with all the fun I'm having."

Ignore him, you thought, he's just trying to bait you. "I can't fathom what's so fun about recklessly speeding down halls on a ridiculously decorated, precariously assembled wooden rectangle with wheels attached to it."

He frowned. "Hey, don't dis the board. You haven't even tried."

"And I don't want to. I thought I was done with this intolerable nonsense after that long dream bubble charade with all of our mentally unstable, asshole alternate universe ancestors!" you shouted, clenching your fists and finishing with a growl in your voice.

"Jegus. Thought you'd be down for hanging out but I guess I'll go see what Terezi's up to."

The sincerity of his voice was rather guilt-inducing. It made you a little upset how snappy you'd been at him lately. Admitting that the two of you had built a friendship, one that you even sometimes considered close, was still difficult. While you still had limited patience for him, it had improved immensely during the last few months, which Rose had more fun than a normal person would pointing out. _"Well, aren't you two peas in a pod?" _Someday, you were going to get her back for all the psychoanalysis and sarcasm. But as much as you hated to admit it, if he wasn't around to hang out with and be annoyed by, you'd probably have followed suit in Rose's drinking from sheer bored curiosity.

Dave was heading back down the hallway.

"Wait!" you called after him.

"What?" he asked, not bothering to look back.

"Can you let Terezi know I want to talk to her?" You waited for his sure to be insulting retort informing you to do it yourself.

But the blonde, red-caped boy stopped briefly to shout back, "Yeah, sure."

And a very small part of you wished it had asked him to stay.


	4. Overthinking

Since the run in with Dave earlier that day, you felt a lot more at ease. You'd retreated to your room with nothing better to do. You typed the password in, a task you'd grown so used to it was almost easier than breathing, and fell ungracefully onto the couch. You clawed the air for the remote only to give up because you really didn't feel like watching movies, or reading, or anything for that matter.

The evenings hadn't always been so dull on the meteor, but somewhere between Terezi falling head over heels in hate with a certain clown and Rose's almost constant state of drunkenness, dinner had ceased to be what it once was. You shot a glance over to the PA speaker installed in the ceiling, trying to remember the last time it wasn't used for some idiotic prank or meeting announcement. You missed eating with everyone; even if you'd told yourself you'd hated it back then, all the stupidity was worth it when things at least seemed like all of you were still friends.

You remembered the time Gamzee had fallen asleep in his mashed potatoes, the time Rose got so wasted that, to Kanaya's horror, she started hitting on Dave, and the time Terezi tried proving to you that any wriggler with half a think pan could do the tablecloth trick, failing miserably and sending various dishes hurtling across the room. But over a year had passed since all of you had enjoyed a meal together like that. All that really united everyone anymore were the monthly meetings. They used to be weekly meetings, but that had ceased to be practical pretty early on, and now even once a month was starting to become a strain due to everyone's relationship problems. The amount of teenage nonsense you dealt with on a daily basis without tearing out your horns amazed you. However, it had recently started bothering you for a whole new reason. It was difficult watching everyone struggle to keep the people who held their quadrants because as awful of a situation as you knew it was from the outside, you still wished you had some part in it. Maybe, just maybe, it was better than spending day after day feeling restless and frustrated. You sank deeper into the couch cushions, feeling ridiculous for wanting any part of their drama. Then again, just because their relationships were failing miserably didn't mean yours had to. And with things you weren't willing to grace with honest recognition gnawing away at your insides, you thought it might be nice to have a moirail again... You sat up, slumping your shoulders in sadness as that night found its way back into your head.

_"__Gamzee?" _

_It's too dark to see anything. For the longest time the silence seems to grin at you from a far, as if it can see the pain of torture it's bestowed upon your face. You want to move but you know you can't. Not yet. It's not going to make things better if you stumble blindly into your death. You recoil at the thought, but only mentally. Physically you're focused on the air around you, every inch of it belongs to your nerves and you'll know the exact moment something, or someone, unsettles it. Your shirt feels like tar draped across your thick, gray skin. Droplets of sweat crawl like beetles down your neck, creating a thin film that keeps the black fabric uncomfortably in place. Your instincts are telling you to leave, but that's out of the question._

_Where is he? Your teeth are clamped shut and you're grinding them together slowly. Your jaws hurt, but it's keeping your focus off the more irritating feeling of your clothes and the thick smell of blood that drips like lace from the walls. Your fists are clenched around two long, metallic black sickles with diamond blades so accurate, you have a few deep scars to show from your earlier training when you'd first managed to alchemize them. Daily practice with them had made you quite deadly, but not as deadly as the figure waiting in the shadows._

Suddenly you felt oddly feverish, like your insides were going to climb out of you like a thousand tiny blood-red spiders. In a panic, you tore your shirt off over your head not caring if you'd ever find it again when you threw it forcefully at the wall.

_A stuttering, choked shout comes from somewhere up ahead. The tone of the shout washes you with fear and, unthinkingly, you dash towards it. Sputtering sounds attack your ears followed by a slow gurgle, let out in different lengths as if there's some idea trying to be communicated. You can't move your legs fast enough. Every step leaves you convinced that the next will be your last, but somehow you manage to keep taking them. Somehow the sound of a horn never claws its way into your ears, filling you with terror. Somehow, you make it to the corner without retching as the smell of blood overwhelms you, rendering your other senses useless. Somehow she's not broken when you lift her off the ground. Somehow you can hear her breathing- shallow, but constant. And somehow Kanaya's made it back, chainsaw drenched in deep purple, in time to take the fragile girl you felt so much for from your arms before you drop to your knees in a fit of violent sobbing, unable to control yourself even when she calls your name, her voice altered by fear and fading away._

You buried your face into your hands, pressing your palms in firm, frantic circles across your forehead. You willed the painful memory away forever, but you knew that would never happen; some trace of it would always be there, waiting to sneak up on you whenever you needed a reminder of just how terrible you were at being there for the people you called your friends, for everyone you cared about.

You let out a growl of anger, pushing yourself up from the floor only to sit back down. The air was too hot- or was it too cold?

And then, in the midst of your panic, you could have sworn you'd heard someone knock, but it wasn't loud enough for you to be sure you hadn't imagined it. A few minutes passed before you let yourself relax, drawing in a rather shallow excuse for a deep breath. Carefully, you stood up and, after retrieving your shirt, left to go calm your nerves with a hot shower.

* * *

**I realize that these chapters are more like small snippets of the day, but as the plot picks up the chapters will grow in length (though possibly be published on a biweekly basis). This chapter was a little late because I spent most of my writing time last week planning future scenes, but expect one every Sunday after this weekend, at least for the next month. Thanks for reading!  
**

**-VV**


	5. Searching

After showering you returned to your room to find a note taped to your door in Kanaya's handwriting; it briefly explained the other troll's inability to locate her alcoholic girlfriend and if you should see the aforementioned person to please return her to their room. You stared at it for a minute or so wondering if you should be annoyed at how common an occurrence notes like these had become as of late, or if you should go look for her in case she'd wondered too close to the rooms you'd deemed off limits. You decided on both, grumbling under your breath as you quickly got dressed before heading off on your unpleasant mission.

Sometimes it was nice having such a vast expanse of hallways and rooms to get lost in, but when you were trying find someone it was a whole different story. You knew you didn't have to bother checking any of Rose's usual hideouts because those would have been the first places Kanaya checked. She'd probably covered a good portion of ground before posting the notice, probably over in the north lab area, so you decided to start with the west lab.

The hallways literally went on for miles, three just to reach the first place you wanted to look and many more after that. After about fifteen minutes you started to regret not grabbing a jacket because stone walls on a meteor at night weren't the best insulators. You cursed as your body gave an involuntary shiver and made a mental note to finally get Kanaya to help you alchemize a heating system that actually worked. You wouldn't admit it out loud, but at times like this you were a little jealous of the humans whose skin was better at keeping them warm and whose planet had much harsher winters than yours, keeping them more adjusted to the nightly temperature drops. You let out a loud, stretched out hiss into the air, mostly from annoyance but also in hopes that it would distract you enough to stop shivering.

"Hey Grumpystubs."

Your eyes narrowed at the name. "Not now, Strider."

"You looking for my sis?" he asked, stopping his board with a screech on the floor and sweeping it into his arm in one swift movement. You wished Latula had never taught him how to ride that stupid thing.

"Yeah, so?" You were way too annoyed to put up with his company.

"So, you'd cover more ground if you could move faster," he explained.

"Good to know. I'll just grow five extra pairs of legs and scuttle like the wind, you unhelpful asshole."

He didn't reply, just stared at you. Or at least that's what you thought, you could never tell because of those irritating shades he insisted on wearing.

You stared back not knowing how else to respond, but it went on long enough for it to be uncomfortable so you ended up staring at your feet.

He finally spoke. "I know you're not a coolkid like me, so you can't ride this hella legit piece of machinery, but I'm offering my coolkid services to you because that's what friends do." When you still didn't reply he kept going. "I mean, what's been up with you lately? You've been acting crabbier than ever and it's kind of starting to piss me off. Every time I do you a favor you freaking act like I'm some diseased prick. Well, you can cut the act, because it's no secret you like hanging out with me in the most unironic way ever. Seriously dude, I don't understand why you won't-" His eyebrows were becoming more furrowed with every word. "But whatever, I'll see you around, I'm gonna go find TZ." He started to skate off, then stopped, adding, "I talked to her by the way, she says to meet her on the roof tomorrow night. She'll be there whenever you decide to show up. Later."

You sat there in befuddlement for a few seconds because whatever you just witnessed was rather out of character for the blonde knight. And also because you believed what he said. You had been off lately, but the mess of reasons you'd been coming up with as to why that was seemed like too much to handle and so you still hadn't bothered to pinpoint the cause. But you pushed that out of your head because something inside you said you couldn't let him leave, not after you'd regretted it so much earlier.

"Wait," you said.

He kept going.

"WAIT!"

He stopped, turning to look at you with those unreadable eyes.

"I- Just look here you, you can't just... I mean. I'm sorry." You internally cursed your words for coming out so frustratingly not the way you had planned. "We can talk about this later, alright? But right now Kanaya could really use my help, and I could... really use yours. So, help me find that inebriated sister of yours before someone else does."

He'd skated back to you by the time you finished speaking. "You mean Gamzee?"

His question surprised you and you couldn't find your voice in time to reply.

"Man, I wouldn't worry about that useless fucker, he's probably too busy alchemizing a life time of Faygo to go on any homicidal rampages. Not to mention Terezi's been keeping him-" he began but immediately cut himself off like he'd never even said it. "And I know my sister better than anyone. If she runs into any danger she'll sober right up and kick its ass."

You felt your pointless state of annoyance beginning to fade. "Thanks," you said, with less reluctance than usual. "For talking to Terezi, too." The second part rang with sincerity because you could not have been more relieved that you were finally going to be able to really speak with her again.

"Let's not get too touchy-feely up in here, wouldn't want ya falling hearts over me."

And he was back to his usual Strider self.

"Do you even know the names of the quadrants, you uncultured nooksucker?"

He smirked. "There are two types of troll romance," he said in a mock-teacher voice, "Redrom and blackrom. In the redrom category you've got your matespritships and your moirallegiances, flushed and pale respectively. And then in the blackrom category you'll find kismesissitudes and auspisticisms, caliginous and ashen."

"What."

He let out a punctuated snicker that shattered into full-out laughter.

This was almost more un-Strider than his earlier rant. "What is so unbelievably funny?"

He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "Oh man, just that look on your face. You looked like a kitten that had ice cold water dumped on it. Seriously, almost three years stuck on a meteor with you guys and you still think I know nothing. Have a little more faith in me."

"I am not one of those Earth creature tiny meowbeasts. God, you are so infuriating!"

"Hey, stop walking away, I'm sorry. Here we can hug it out. Come into my cape, Karkat. I know you've been waiting for this moment your whole existence."

You had to fight off the urge to punch him in the face so hard his precious shades would break. "Can you stop flirting with me already so we can find Rose?"

"I'm not gonna bother arguing about who's really flirting with who because I think we all know the answer to that, but yeah, sure. Get on."

Your patience was wearing thin again. "I said to stop-"

"No, I'm serious. Like I said, walking's not gonna get us anywhere fast, and this board's big enough for both of us."

This wasn't happening, not if you could help it. "Not happening, Strider."

"Do you want to find Rose or not? Get on."

But you couldn't convince yourself to listen.

"How old are you? You can stop being so immature and acting like this is some stupid embarrassing big deal, because it's not." He held out his hand expectantly, feet poised on the board, ready to take off.

"That's not it." Your feet stayed rooted to the ground.

"Oh no. Don't tell me you're scared. Karkat Tiffany Vantas-"

"Hey!"

"Do not tell me you are scared of riding a skateboard."

"I'm not scared," you defended. "It's just does not appear like an entirely safe decision and we've got a whole universe to save after all, so I don't think it's a good idea to be taking any risks."

"You have three seconds to get on this board or I am tying you to it and dragging you around like some calf at a rodeo."

"Auhgg. Fine, alright. I just." You looked at the deathtrap. "How do I..."

"Here, you have to stand on the back, like this," he switched his feet around to demonstrate, "and then grab onto my waist and I'll do all the rest."

"Alright. I'll just. I see, so I just. And then-"

"Just get on already, doofus. I'm not gonna push you off or anything. Promise."

You sighed, carefully placing one foot on at a time. Immediately, you felt unstable, like the world had quite literally been taken out from under you, and grabbed onto the other boy with a little too much force, causing the board to jolt back and forth to your horror.

"Wow, are you serious? You need to relax before you send us both into the ground. I mean, I'm a Strider, so I won't allow myself to get schooled like that- I'd save our asses with my sick moves, but seriously, calm the fuck down. I don't want to have to explain the claw marks in my side to Rose and end up in one of her self-indulgent uncomfortable as hell therapy sessions."

If you weren't so worried about falling down you would have retorted, but you forced yourself to relax a little. "Can we get going now?"

"Sure thing," he replied. "Whatever you do, don't let go."

"Wasn't planning on it."

You could have sworn you heard him let out a short laugh under his breath. "I'm just sayin'."

Before you had time to process what he'd said the two of you were shooting down the hallway towards what you assumed could only be your deaths.

* * *

**I went on about the temperature thing at the beginning for a reason, but that will happen next chapter. This scene was a lot of fun to write but also a struggle. Hope everyone keeps reading. If you're in this for the potential smut, I've decided for a fact that there indeed will be various sex scenes later on, so all in due time. Also, keep in mind that this will get sadder and/or darker as things go on, this is romance/tragedy, but there's gotta be some funny shenanigans like this, too.  
**

**Thanks for reading! Till next Sunday,**

**-VV**


	6. Anticipation

"I'm not getting back on thAT GOD AWFUL CONTRAPTION OF YOURS, STRIDER."

"It's not not my fault you didn't listen when I said not to let go."

"YOU CAN FUCK OFF, YOU COMPLETE SHITHOLE EXCUSE FOR A SKATEBOARD NAVIGATOR! I WOULDN'T HAVE LET GO IF YOU HAD BEEN THE LEAST BIT CAREFUL NOT TO HURL ME INTO EVERY POSSIBLE SURFACE LIKE A CHARGING HOOFBEAST HIVEBENT ON MY DEMISE."

Dave took a few steps in your direction, but not so close that you might reach out and push him over in your current state of anger. "Woah. Ok, maybe you should calm down. You took a pretty hard fall there but it was also kind of awesome so maybe you should let it go and check this off on the list of most badass things Karkat Vantas has ever done. I'll even lay down a sick beat and we can immortalize your epic wipeout in one of your troll slam poems."

"That wasn't just a fall, you insensitive pile of rotten grub sauce!" You continued, lowering your voice a little. "My fucking horn was almost torn off by that corner. I'm so furious I might just have you drag me back there so I can profess my undying loathing to that grotesquely protruding piece of wall with a ring I'm going to carve out of the solidified hatred brewing in my think pan."

He took a few more steps until he was standing in front of you."Wait, are horns like troll funny bones?"

"I refuse to believe that something as idiotically named as that is really a part of your weird human anatomy."

"It totally is, dude."

You finally made the effort to push yourself off the ground, still a little shaken from the pain. "I swear humans could not get any weirder."

"So, are horns like funny bones or what?"

"How in the jegus am I supposed to know what funny bones are like?"

"Right. It's probably not the same, but are horns sensitive or some shit?"

"Sensitive?" You decided it was probably best to avoid this conversation. "Maybe you should ask Rose."

He looked at you for a while before turning his head suddenly to stare to the side. "We'll have to find her first. I guess if you're done writhing on the floor in pain we should kick it into high gear. It's getting pretty late."

"Alright," you agreed. "Follow me and try not to make any noise with that obnoxious board."

"Will do."

The two of you proceeded cautiously towards the towering steel door that lead to the northern lab facilities. For safety reasons the door was locked using a touch pad system located to the left that recognized a specific pattern of finger drags. Careful not to scratch the rather fragile surface with your claws, you ran your fingers across it, reciting the movements of in your head. A green check mark appeared on the screen as you finished and the clinks of the lock mechanism sounded before the door began to open leftwards with a low hum.

You stepped through the doorway, Dave following behind. The door shut behind you with a sharp, metallic clang.

"Where should we look first?" asked the blonde knight.

"She's probably in one of the smaller-" you began, but the sudden muffled echo of shouted arguing voices cut you off. A sad scream climbed sickeningly into your ears as its volume crescendoed.

"Shit. That can't be good."

You did your best to swallow the fear that strangled at a spot just below your throat, seeming to drip downward over your bones. "Come on, Dave, let's go."


	7. Disappointment

Even though you were taking them two, three, four at a time, you couldn't get up the steps fast enough. Dave was matching your pace almost perfectly, and the small downward curve of his mouth was enough for you to know how worried he was about his sister.

"I'm sure she's ok," you reassured him and partly yourself.

His only reply was a nod so small you couldn't decide if you'd imagined it or not. But a few seconds later he quietly replied, "Thanks."

It surprised you a little and you hit the next step, cursing as the stairs grew closer to your face. But a pair of arms caught you from behind, and pulled you to your feet. You looked back at him in confusion with a dash of embarrassment, but he was off running again and you chased after him in pursuit of the voices, still too far away to hear any individual words.

Once at the top of the massive staircase you instinctively retrieved your sickles from your sylladex. The cool touch of the metal handles calmed you down some, made you feel more in your element. Rectangular lights decorating the slate-gray walls emanated an eyrie blue glow that glinted off the blades in your hands, smearing the rainbow sheen of the polished steel. You glanced over at Dave who'd pulled out a long, thin samurai sword, its black blade formidably sharp. Your eyes shot a quick glance to the boy's face and caught his eyes at a moment when the shades weren't so snugly fit. The red irises were piercing and fierce, so different from the first time you'd seen them.

_"This isn't going to work," you insist._

_"This is going to work better than a well-oiled machine made by a team of well oiled machines that were made by the inventor of well-oiled machines. But seriously, I don't understand why you won't have a little faith. I may not be the most experienced achelmizer we've got, but if this doesn't I will let you fill every crevice of my room with the shittiest swords you can alchemize."_

_"Dave," you pause, giving a small annoyed sigh, "I don't know why you insist on utterly embarrassing yourself in front of everyone, but if you refuse to listen to reason, then go right the fuck ahead, I won't stop you."_

_He smirks at you, tossing his burgundy cape aside in some attempt to seem like even more of a douchebag, you think. _

_"Sit back and be amazed, Vantas," he incites you._

_You turn to Kanaya who's pinching the bridge of her nose, eyes shut, elbow in hand, slumped to one side as if bracing herself for what could only be disaster._

_Rose walks over, placing her hand gingerly on the small of the jade-blooded troll's back, and gives a subtle smile that must say more to Kanaya than you. "Really Dave, Karkat might overreact now and then, but you'd do well to listen to his words of wisdom."_

_"And what wise words would those be? / Does Karkles here think he's gonna show me? / Throw me / off my game? / Convinced that I'm in for a world of pain? / I'm surrounded by doubters who think I'm insane. / It's mundane / and I'll say / that what you're about to see / will blow all your doubting minds instantaneously / immediately / and that's a motherfuckin' guarantee. You'll be-"_

_"YOU POMPUS BACKED-UP LOADGAPER, STOP SPRAYING SHIT IN OUR FACES AND LISTEN TO US BEFORE YOU GET SERIOUSLY HURT AND I DON'T JUST MEAN THE SICKENING CRUSHING SENSATION YOU'LL FEEL IN YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOUR YOUR EGO GETS DEFLATED. FOR GOG'S SAKE STOP BEING SUCH A STUBBORN ASSHOLE, YOU INFURIATING SACK OF DOUCHE."_

_Kanaya interrupts you with a hand on the shoulder that can only be asking you to calm down. With anyone else you would have ignored the gesture, but for her sake you cease yelling. _

_She presents you with a smile of gratitude. "I believe I would have to be in agreement, Dave, even if he may have expressed his feelings a bit more exuberantly, to say the least, than I would have."_

_"I'd like to congratulate you for doing the impossible. For once, the three of us are in agreement," Rose adds snarkily._

_Dave continues to protest until finally, to everyone's horror, he begins the alchemization process._

_Rose takes hold of Kanaya's hand, turning to you with a,"You boys enjoy yourselves," the two walking out the door before you can get after them for their abandonment._

_You let out a low growl in frustration."I must really have a death wish being stupid enough to-" but to your amazement he's standing there with the strange object in hand and not a scratch to show for it. Nothing had gone wrong. You relax the muscles you hadn't realized you'd been tensing from the stress of the situation._

_He's half grinning, half smirking at you. "The only thing you were stupid enough to do was doubt me. But I'm a good guy, so I'll let it slide."_

_You're too shocked to retort. "That's impossible."_

_But he ignores you and tilts down his shades. "Huh. It's a lot brighter than I imagined for something so sinister."_

_And you're staring in amazement for a different reason. "You're eyes are red," you blurt out, immediately feeling discomposed. As soon as you say it his shades are back so fast you barely caught his hand move. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with things being red that aren't supposed to red. Or, no, maybe that's normal in your culture-" you cut yourself off before your voice becomes any more of an apologetic mumble._

_"Hey, don't go making this weird. You saw my eyes, so what."_

_But something about the way he places the object in the glass case he's made for it a little too quickly, almost dropping it, makes you think he's not ok with it. Makes you think he lost himself for a moment, forgot you were there or something, and pulled down his shades unthinkingly. Or maybe it was ok and you're imagining the awkward silence that surrounds both of you because Dave doesn't do anything unthinkingly. Whatever the case, you do your best to shake the feeling those expressive eyes left you with, a feeling that you can't place but nonetheless aren't sure it's something you should be feeling._

"-didn't make you say that. You didn't have to promise me anything if you didn't think-" a voice pulled you from your thoughts.

"This way," said Dave, turning the corner in pursuit of Kanaya's voice, which was disconcertingly loud.

You heard Rose's voice, broken by sobs. "I di'n't mean- mean t- to. I was- I w'nted to- 'nd then they begg'd me, they 'ere screaming. THEY WERE SCREAMING FOR ME TO- but I d'n't, not at first..."

Dave and you stood facing the two girls. Dave's shoulders fell at the sight; Rose, obviously wasted, was perched on the bottom bar of the metal fencing that lined the edge of the balcony, her hands gripping the top bar, knuckles white. Her eyes were different, a result from something other than her state of intoxication. You narrowed your eyes in worry, shooting a glance at Kanaya; you willed her to return it but it was doubtful she'd heard you coming or even knew you were there.

"Rose," said Dave, his jaw clenched. He said the name sternly and loud enough to earn the distraught girl's look.

"Dave?" The girl sounded terrified for a reason unknown to you.

"Dave." Kanaya's tone was unreadable but held an apologetic note. She caught your gaze and you saw worry there but also pain.

"What's going on?" you asked warily.

Kanaya had something grasped in her hand that you hadn't noticed until she displayed them, accusingly. "I found these in her room."

Dave's reaction was immediate; his eyes fell to Kanaya's hand then quickly returned to his sister's face. You remember him briefly looking your way from beneath his shades before taking off. And you remember feeling conflicted as you uttered, "Sorry," and followed him.


	8. Intermission

**A/N:**

It's been a while since I've written anything for this. I'm going to be honest, I've been pushing this to the back of my mind with no determination to write it. Sometimes life catches up to you and your creative endeavors get pushed to the side. I will at least get a few more chapters in and call it an early end if I'm not able to finish it in the manner I'd like to, but I'm going to try and revive my drive to write this. Before I continue writing I need to glance over the story, recheck my notes, and probably finish my recently started complete re-read of Homestuck because there are a couple of parts that are blurry which I'd like to reference. With work and college I imagine that re-read will be done in 2-3weeks at which point I'll start writing the next chapter. So until then, my greatest apologies for leaving everyone hanging and I look forward to updating sometime in the next month or so. I plan to write a couple chapters as stock so I can keep up with the once monthly update. Thank you for reading what I've written so far and I hope you're patient enough to read what's to come. Until next time.

-VV


End file.
